**Ph.D. Defense of Student Amanj Zrar Hassan in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Al-Nahrain College of Medicine**
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, Ph.D. candidate Amanj Zrar Hassan from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry successfully defended his dissertation entitled:
“Association between Procollagen III, Laminin, and Retinol Binding Protein-4 in Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes patients with and without Nephropathy.”
Study Objective:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of serum levels of N-terminal Procollagen Type III Peptide, Laminin, and Retinol Binding Protein-4 (RBP4) as early biomarkers in the detection of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), both in patients with and without nephropathy.
Procollagen Type III is a peptide produced in the initial stages of Type III collagen synthesis and deposition, a fibrous collagen commonly found in various internal organs and the skin. Elevated levels of Procollagen Type III have been observed in numerous systemic disorders associated with tissue fibrosis, including liver and kidney fibrosis. Retinol Binding Protein-4 (RBP4) is an adipokine predominantly produced by hepatocytes in the liver, with smaller amounts secreted by adipose tissue. The results of the study revealed a significant increase in the levels of RBP4 in the patient groups compared to the healthy controls and prediabetic individuals. Moreover, RBP4 levels were markedly higher in T2DM patients with nephropathy compared to the control group, prediabetic patients, and T2DM patients without nephropathy. Procollagen Type III concentrations were also significantly elevated in the serum of patients compared to the control group. The average Procollagen Type III levels were higher in T2DM patients with nephropathy compared to those without.
The study also demonstrated significant differences in insulin, HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), HbA1c, lipid profile, creatinine, urea, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood glucose, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.
Conclusion:
The current study concluded that while all three markers — Procollagen Type III, Laminin, and RBP4 — could enhance the biochemical assessment for identifying and diagnosing nephropathy in T2DM patients, Procollagen Type III and RBP4 were identified as the most effective discriminators between T2DM patients with and without nephropathy.
The examination committee consisted of:
Prof. Dr. Rya Suleiman Baban (Chair)
Prof. Dr. Kamaran Kayani Abdulrahman (Member)
Prof. Dr. Aref Sami Malik (Member)
Prof. Dr. Raed Jasem Mohammed (Member)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Mahmood (Member)
Prof. Dr. Mohammed Omran Hamza (Member and Supervisor)
Prof. Dr. Mahmood Shaker Khudair (Member and Supervisor)
The dissertation was accepted with distinction.
